Marvel Editor Explains How The Publisher Works With Marvel Studios And How Comics Inform The Movies

Marvel Editor Explains How The Publisher Works With Marvel Studios And How Comics Inform The Movies

Marvel Comics' X-Men Senior Editor Jordan D. White has explained how the publisher works with Marvel Studios and the sort of impact what happens in live-action has on what we see on the page. Check it out!

By JoshWilding - Sep 16, 2022 10:09 AM EST
Filed Under: Marvel Comics
Source: AIPT

Long before the Marvel Cinematic Universe was even a thing, what happened in Marvel movies would often have an impact on the comic books. Spider-Man, for example, also ended up with organic webbing after Tobey Maguire's wall-crawler ditched the web-shooters, and even today we shared a first look at the redesigned Agatha Harkness inspired by WandaVision!

While Marvel Studios, Sony Pictures, and Warner Bros. all continue pulling ideas and characters from the source material, it's clearly a two-way street. What happens in the movies affects the comic books and vice versa, but with Kevin Feige now overseeing everything Marvel-related at Disney, what sort of impact has that had on what we see on the page each month?

During a recent interview with AITP, X-Men Senior Editor Jordan D. White explained how it all works and confirmed they're very much left up to their own devices. Why? Because Marvel Studios wants Marvel Comics to continue telling stories they can one day bring to the big and small screens.

"I mean, we’re all part of the same company, but they don’t consult me on what they should do. And I don’t consult them on what I should do," White says. "Every once in a while we have get-togethers with studios and we share information about what we’re doing. But it’s not that intimate. Like, I knew that the X-Men ’97 series was being worked on quite some time ago. But I don’t know what the episodes are about."

"Mostly, we spend time talking about MCU projects. And then like I said, we also will do presentations for studios as well, going, 'Here’s what we’re planning for the next year. Here’s what we’re going to do.'

"But I certainly don’t think they change their plans based on what we say. They always tell us, 'We’re not looking for you to change what you’re doing to fit with what we’re doing," he continued. "'We want you to stay 5-10 years ahead of us because we want you to be doing fun and interesting stuff that we can do down the line.' Which we’re more than happy to do."

"We absolutely want to tell new stories about our characters and yes, if we do a good enough job, like yeah, those can become the backbone of some future thing, fingers crossed. Will you see Krakoa in the future of X-Men movies? I would love that. I have no idea if we’re doing a good enough job and people feel like that is what X-Men is and can be. That would be amazing."

It's fascinating to get these insights from someone on the ground in Marvel Comics, and good to know that team is able to continue telling the stories they want. We still don't know how much input Feige has, but based on White's comments, those working on the movies are definitely hands-off.

Let us know your thoughts on this story down in the comments section!

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thewanderer
thewanderer - 9/16/2022, 10:42 AM
Exactly as it should be. The comics should continue to be fresh and original and not beholden to anything else, and then the movies can take those stories to draw inspiration from, while also not being beholden to them.
Thing94
Thing94 - 9/16/2022, 10:44 AM
Interesting
VictorAlonzo
VictorAlonzo - 9/16/2022, 10:49 AM
Disney:




MARVEL'S HISTORY


marvel72
marvel72 - 9/16/2022, 10:51 AM
The comics should inspire the movies the movies shouldn't change what is in the comics.

They say the MCU is Earth 616 but its not like the comics universe at all, yes bits but not exactly the same.

They should have a separate line of comics which is the movie universe,then you can have both and pick which ones you want to read.
MuadDib
MuadDib - 9/16/2022, 10:53 AM
I feel too much has already been influenced by the movies in the comics. Personally I feel a one way street from comics to movies is the better approach. The comics are established rich history, going back decades sometimes. To switch things up every time there’s a reboot is lame. Plus things can be much more complex and intricate in the comics, stuff for the movies is usually streamlined so as not to get too bogged down in the minutia with all the connections to other characters etc.

I love the complex interwoven world of the comics, and understand why the movies need to be a paired down simplified version. I just also feel it’s a fine line and a slippery slope.

Marvels been hitting it out of the park for a while now, even if their last few movies weren’t as strong.
Fares
Fares - 9/16/2022, 10:53 AM
While I'll take them at their word, it's not enough to shake the feeling that I've have had for the last few years, that the movies have been informing how the comics are made to an extent, both in Marvel and DC. Especially in terms of visual designs and what characters get more of the spotlight compared to others. And if that were the case, it would be truly disappointing.
TheManWithoutFear
TheManWithoutFear - 9/16/2022, 11:02 AM
@Fares - but it's always temporary right? The comics have been around for 60 years and will be around for another 60 to come. I feel like any changes that are purely to align with the movies are a blip and the comics history always resets eventually.

Kind of like Hawkeye. After the Ultimates and the MCU they had him in the horrible look with the shades. But eventually the goofy purple dress-thing will be return and the status-quo resumes.
supermanrex
supermanrex - 9/16/2022, 11:03 AM
@Fares - when the comics take cues from the movies, ie costumes or story points its them just trying to cash in on that recognition factor from the new fans who go from the movies to the local comic shop to check out what comics are about.
Fares
Fares - 9/16/2022, 11:28 AM
@TheManWithoutFear - I hope that's true, not particularly because I love that ugly ass purple costume, but because I want the comics to confidently exist independently.

The issue is, even the comics can be considered a young industry, all of entertainment is. A hundred years is merely a blink in human progress, and with that progress comes new sensiblities for what we consider to be worthwhile experiences, entertainment included.

Stories will always have innate power of attraction over the human mind, but that doesn't mean that the mediums in which we tell stories won't radically evolve to resemble nothing we're familiar to. And comics are just another medium.

So I'd prefer comics to have their time in the light now instead of waiting for an uncertain future where they may not exist in the way we know and love.

Dang that kinda got dark fast.
Fares
Fares - 9/16/2022, 11:30 AM
@supermanrex - I know it makes sense business-wise, at least in the short term, but I can't help but hate it.
TheManWithoutFear
TheManWithoutFear - 9/16/2022, 10:58 AM
Interesting that MS told them about X-Men '97 ahead of time. Probably related to the comics they publish in that same universe. I don't know if it was to ensure canon or to avoid rehashing. Or something else.

Also dirty trick using the image of Lizzie in the Scarlet Witch halloween costume. Everyone knows that is my only weakness.
TheUnworthyThor
TheUnworthyThor - 9/16/2022, 11:06 AM
I have no problem if the movies do something cool or create something cool that the comics take it and use it. I’d be more mad if they didn’t. I have no problem with comics highlighting a character that is going to have a movie or a show coming up. That just usually means more time and space for under-appreciated and underutilized characters to shine. The thing I don’t want is for the movies to tell the comics exactly what to do and for the comics to stop creating which I don’t think is happening and I don’t think will happen.
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 9/16/2022, 11:10 AM
I like that the stories of the comics aren't influenced by the movies, but I do think they're influenced by how the characters look and what characters are in the spotlight.

As long as they keep telling unique stories, I'm fine with it. Same with the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy games. They're obviously inspired by the popularity of the movies, but that doesn't hold them back telling their own stories.
marvel72
marvel72 - 9/16/2022, 12:12 PM
@bkmeijer1 - That's how I want it, take the first Avengers movie.

It was pretty much Avengers #1, The Avengers Vs Loki,you have Hulk,Thor and Iron Man three of the original founding members plus Captain America who joined in issue 4.

They can come up with whatever original story they like just have the actual characters from the comics.
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 9/16/2022, 2:25 PM
@marvel72 - yeah, the MCU is one big example of taking stuff from the comics and doing their own unique thing with it.

Civil War might just be the best example in my opinion. I'm still amazed at how much that changed from the comics, yet still felt so much like it.
Kumkani
Kumkani - 9/16/2022, 12:29 PM
It's funny to see people complain about the MCU influencing the comics, but completely forget that comics Blade has essentially been the Westley Snipes version since the first film came out.
WarMonkey
WarMonkey - 9/17/2022, 7:51 AM
@Kumkani - And Nick Fury of course
NoAssemblyReqd
NoAssemblyReqd - 9/16/2022, 2:12 PM
I love that many characters and situations we’re seeing in the MCU now were introduced in the comics *after* IRON MAN was released in 2008. Kamala Khan, Thanos’s Black Order, Doctor Strange’s incursions, the Mighty Thor…

Sadly, the editor makes no mention about how or whether there are new benefits in place for writers and designers whose work gets adapted.
WarMonkey
WarMonkey - 9/17/2022, 8:01 AM
@NoAssemblyReqd - Feige mentioned turning comics into MCU stories in ten years time. These stories and characters were created about 10 years ago. They were made with the intention of becoming MCU stories and they eventually did. None of them were big hits or even mediocre ones when the comics were being sold but those "woke" comics are now what the MCU is. Feige has said this was his intention all along to be more diverse and inclusive so he is using the new characters and changed the race and gender of other long established ones.
malschla
malschla - 9/16/2022, 2:16 PM
Step one: don’t.

I mean, apparently anyway….

(This is a joke, in case anyone misses it)
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